Bearing Witness to the ‘Pain of Others’: Researching Power, Violence and Resistance in a Women’s Prison

Phil Scraton

doi:10.5204/ijcjsd.v5i1.288

Abstract

Addressing the dynamics of interpersonal violence, institutionalised abuses and prisoner isolation, this article consolidates critical analyses as challenges to the essentially liberal constructions and interpretations of prisoner agency and penal reformism. Grounded in long-term research with women in prison in the North of Ireland, it connects embedded, punitive responses that undermine women prisoners’ self-esteem and mental health to the brutalising manifestations of formal and informal punishments, including lockdowns and isolation. It argues that critical social research into penal policy and prison regimes has a moral duty, an ethical obligation and a political responsibility to investigate abuses of power, seek out the ‘view from below’. Challenging the revisionism implicit within the ‘healthy prison’ discourse, it argues for alternatives to prison as the foundation of decarceration and abolition.

Highlights

Challenging the revisionism implicit within the ‘healthy prison’ discourse,3 it argues for alternatives to prison as the foundation of decarceration and abolition
Her marriage ended and her young children were taken into care. Her medical records recorded a history of self‐harm, noting her suicidal ideation, depressed and anxious condition. Despite her fragile mental health being clearly evident and well‐documented, the Prisoner Ombudsman found that the prison committal staff were unaware of her recent history (Prisoner Ombudsman 2012: 12)
Frances had complained of bullying and was categorised ‘at risk’, yet her mental health remained unassessed for six weeks

Summary

Introduction

It argues that critical social research into penal policy and prison regimes has a moral duty, an ethical obligation and a political responsibility to investigate abuses of power, seek out the ‘view from below’. Despite the release of politically affiliated prisoners, leaving a population of low and medium security ordinary prisoners, a high security regime persisted, staffing levels were excessive, women were locked alone in their cells for much of the day, education and work opportunities were severely restricted and ‘activities were frequently cancelled due to

Results

Conclusion